Oklahoma
How does Oklahoma stack up in the SEC? All 16 colleges ranked academically by US News

OU football coach Brent Venables talks about Sooners’ toughness
OU football coach Brent Venables talks about Sooners’ toughness during spring practice
U.S. News recently released its 2024 college rankings, and while the University of Oklahoma didn’t rank in the top 100, the school did rank in the top 10 among universities in the Southeastern Conference.
OU and the University of Texas will move from the Big 12 to the SEC in time for the 2024 college football season.
Here’s where every SEC school nationally ranks, according to U.S. News.
16. Mississippi State University
- City: Starkville, Mississippi
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 21,988
- U.S. News ranking: No. 216 (tied)
- In-state cost: $9,815
- Acceptance rate: 70%
15. Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge (LSU)
- City: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 32,666
- U.S. News ranking: No. 185
- In-state cost: $11,954
- Acceptance rate: 76%
14. University of Arkansas
- City: Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Undergraduate enrollement in fall 2023: 32,140
- U.S. News ranking: No. 178
- In-state cost: $9,748
- Acceptance rate: 79%
13. The University of Alabama
- City: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 39,623
- U.S. News ranking: No. 170
- In-state cost: $11,900
- Acceptance rate: 80%
12. University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
- City: Oxford, Mississippi
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 24,710
- U.S. News ranking: No. 163
- In-state cost: $9,412
- Acceptance rate: 97%
11. University of Kentucky
- City: Lexington, Kentucky
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 34,000
- U.S. News ranking: No. 159
- In-state cost: $13,212
- Acceptance rate: 95%
10. University of South Carolina
- City: Columbia, South Carolina
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 36,300
- U.S. News ranking: No. 124 (tied)
- In-state cost: $12,688
- Acceptance rate: 64%
9. University of Oklahoma
- City: Norman, Oklahoma
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 28,264
- U.S. News ranking: No. 124 (tied)
- In-state cost: $9,312
- Acceptance rate: 73%
8. University of Missouri
- City: Columbus, Missouri
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 23,629
- U.S. News ranking: No. 124 (tied)
- In-state cost: $14,192
- Acceptance rate: 79%
7. University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- City: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 36,000
- U.S. News ranking: No. 216 (tied)
- In-state cost: $13,244
- Acceptance rate: 68%
6. Auburn University
- City: Auburn, Alabama
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 35,015
- U.S. News ranking: No. 93
- In-state cost: $12,536
- Acceptance rate: 44%
5. University of Georgia
- City: Athens, Georgia
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 30,166
- U.S. News ranking: No. 47 (tied)
- In-state cost: $11,180
- Acceptance rate: 43%
4. Texas A&M University
- City: College Station, Texas
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 69,598
- U.S. News ranking: No. 47 (tied)
- In-state cost: $12,413
- Acceptance rate: 63%
3. University of Texas at Austin
- City: Austin, Texas
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 53,082
- U.S. News ranking: No. 32
- In-state cost: $11,698
- Acceptance rate: 31%
2. University of Florida
- City: Gainsville, Florida
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2022: 34,552
- U.S. News ranking: No. 28
- In-state cost: $6,381
- Acceptance rate: 23%
1. Vanderbilt University
- City: Nashville, Tennessee
- Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2023: 7,152
- U.S. News ranking: No. 18
- Tuition: $63,946
- Acceptance rate: 7%

Oklahoma
Recruiting Could Hold Back Oklahoma State, Big 12 Moving Forward

Winning a national championship is the most difficult task in college football, and the Big 12 might not be in the mix anytime soon.
Throughout the past few years, the Big 12 has undergone some significant changes. From a 10-team league headlined by big names such as Oklahoma and Texas in 2023 to a 16-team league without either of those schools in 2025, there is no doubt that the Big 12 is a clear reflection of this new era of college sports.
As times change, so do the ways teams compete for a championship. Over the past few years, the transfer portal has played a significant role in determining the college football landscape.
For example, Oklahoma State was turning its season around by intercepting Kansas State’s Will Howard in 2023. Then, a year later, he was the starting quarterback for the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.
At this point, it can feel like the only thing consistent about college football is inconsistency. However, one thing has stayed the same throughout all of these changes, and that’s how to build a national champion.
The blue-chip ratio gives the percentage of four or five-star recruits that a team has signed in the past four recruiting classes. In CBS Sports’ latest deep dive, it showed that every national champion in recent history has had a blue-chip ratio of at least 50%.
Going into next season, 18 teams hit that mark. With a 12-team playoff field, that could lead to some excitement and some true heavyweight battles throughout. However, the Big 12 is the only power conference team without a single representative on the list.
OSU has never been known for getting the top recruits in the country, but that has also hindered it from truly taking the next step and becoming a national contender. Getting three-star talent and developing has been a hallmark of many of the typically successful teams in the Big 12.
While that can lead to 10-win seasons and an occasional playoff berth, it is unlikely to lead to a championship if the other side consistently has recruiting classes filled with top-end talent. It isn’t impossible for the Big 12 to win a national title in this era, but considering the conference hasn’t hoisted a national championship trophy since the 2005 season, this isn’t a new problem and it likely isn’t going away.
Oklahoma
Jackson Arnold Reveals Reason for Picking Auburn after Leaving Oklahoma

ATLANTA, Ga.- Former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold entered the transfer portal after the 2024 football season, after an up-and-down season in Norman. But what made the quarterback choose the Auburn Tigers?
“I think early on the coaches were immediately texting me as soon as I entered the portal or that day, opened up for the transfer portal,” Arnold said at SEC Media Days. “They were the first ones that texted me, communicated to me.
“Almost all of the offensive coaches texted me early on. Not only that, a day later I hopped on a zoom call with them all. They kind of laid everything out for me, showed me my fit in their offense, our offensive depth, depth in the team in general, not just offense.”
Arnold is a former five-star recruit and Gatorade National Player of the Year. Despite his struggles last season with Oklahoma, the 20-year-old was still going to have plenty of options in the transfer portal. The opportunity to take over a talented offense, paired with the Auburn defense, was a key selling point.
“They really prided [themselves] on their defense and a bunch of guys last year, and all the guys are coming back this year,” Arnold continued.
The Auburn defense was ranked 31st in total defense in the 2024 season according to NCAA.com.
Not only was Auburn in need of an experienced quarterback entering the 2025 season, but Arnold’s athleticism fit with what head coach Hugh Freeze likes to do with his offense.
“The biggest thing Coach Freeze sold me on with the scheme is, one, the RPO game, and, two, the deep shots,” said Arnold. “That’s something that I’ve been doing a lot since high school. And even my first couple of years in college was huge in the RPOs, huge in the deep shots.
“Coach Freeze isn’t scared to push the ball down the field, which I absolutely love. I thought with my experience running the RPO game, I think it meshed well with what Coach Freeze was wanting to do with his offense.”
Inconsistent quarterback play plagued the Tigers’ offense with turnovers last season. Auburn found themselves in very winnable games last season, including against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Winning deep in the fourth quarter, Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne tried to force a ball to wide receiver Sam Jackson V, but instead threw a ball directly to a waiting Oklahoma linebacker who then returned it for a touchdown. Auburn went on to lose this game.
Auburn’s -9 turnover margin was tied for 119th in the country out of 133 teams. Freeze knew bringing in more quarterbacks could help get the Tiger offense over the hump. Freeze also brought in former Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels and five-star freshman quarterback Deuce Knight to reinforce the room and hopefully rid themselves of inconsistent quarterback play.
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